Day: August 13, 2011

Written by Francis Siah
Saturday, 13 August 2011
CPI

Press Statements
Foreword by Dr Lim Teck Ghee

Readers who have been following the progress of the MoCS ‘Walk for Democracy and Reform’ assembly in Kuching will be as disappointed as we are that the event has been called off. This development, though disappointing is not unexpected given the extraordinary pressure on Francis and the small group of stalwart supporters during the last few weeks. The perverted use by the government of the law enforcement agencies for its political ends has long been a feature of Barisan Nasional rule in Malaysia; and this has proven to be the case once again. It will not be the last time.

Refusal to provide permits for legitimate public gatherings and events organized by the opposition is part of the standard operating procedure of the police force. Other not so subtle forms of denial of our constitutional right to freedom of assembly are the use of restraining orders, which with the connivance of a sycophantic judiciary, is meant to prohibit leaders and supporters from gathering anywhere close to the vicinity of any planned rally that is perceived as drawing attention to the corruption, abuses and bad governance of the ruling elite. Continue reading “Reason why MoCS rally called off”

The two recent headlines of “Nazri says Tajuddin intervention could save Putrajaya billions” and “Najib: Tajuddin intervention ‘off-site’ solution, not settlement” have raised more questions than given answers since the public revelation that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had instructed all government-linked companies (GLCs) to withdrawal their civil suits against the former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.

It boggles the imagination as to how the withdrawal of all suits against Tajuddin could save the Federal Government billions when it has entered the national folklore that it is the Malaysian taxpayers who are the real victims of the Tajuddin-MAS financial bailout in 2000 to the tune of billions of ringgit – starting with the RM1.8 billion government buy-back of Tajuddin’s 29.09 per cent stake in MAS at RM8 per share representing a premium of RM4.32 or 117 per cent over the market price at RM3.68 per share when the deal was signed on 20th December 2000 and followed by MAS police reports from 2002 that Tajuddin had caused the national flag carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion.

Are Najib and Nazri seriously suggesting that after causing MAS, the Federal treasury and the Malaysian taxpayers to suffer some RM10 billion losses, Tajuddin is still in a position to virtually hold Putrajaya to ransom to force a “global settlement” of all civil suits filed by GLCs especially MAS, TM and Prokhas (formerly Dahaharta) as to require the lawyers of all GLCs concerned to hand over their cases to a known Umno lawyer? Continue reading “Tajuddin intervention – Is it “the bailout of all Umnoputra bailouts” ?”

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 12, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — A former senior cop has called for charges to be brought against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramlim saying the withdrawal of civil suits against the former Malaysian Airline (MAS) chairman does not indemnify him against criminal culpability.

Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim told The Malaysian Insider today that Putrajaya’s decision to settle with Tajuddin out of court and directive to government-linked corporations to drop their cases against the latter did not mean that two police reports and another made to anti-graft enforcers were nullified.

“Even if MAS and other GLCs were to drop all civil claims against Tajuddin, they have no or power to indemnify Tajuddin from criminal liabilities. For that matter, no minister or even the Attorney-General has the authority.

“In fact, police have recommended that several criminal charges be preferred against Tajuddin and few others,” the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief said. Continue reading “A-G must still prosecute Tajuddin, says Mat Zain”

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 13, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Several government-linked companies (GLCs) are perturbed by Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s attempts to justify Putrajaya’s intervention into ongoing lawsuits against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli and claimed the de facto law minister was giving out misleading information.

Nazri claimed an out-of-court settlement was the best solution. — File picA source close to several parties named in the lengthy series of suits and counter-suits involving Tajuddin pointed out that the former poster boy for Bumiputera entrepreneurship had lost his RM13 billion countersuit against national debt restructuring company Danaharta in 2009.

Among several documents obtained by The Malaysian Insider, a High Court judgment on December 7, 2009 showed trial judge Anatham Kasinather had awarded a total sum of RMRM589,143,205.57 to Danaharta, its two subsidiaries and its four managing directors named as Datuk Azman Yahya, Datuk Abdul Hamidy Hafiz, Datuk Zukri Samat and Datuk Kris Azman Abdullah.

The same trial judge had also dismissed Tajuddin’s RM13 billion countersuit against Danaharta and its agencies a month earlier on November 12, 2009. Continue reading “GLCs upset with Nazri for misleading explanation in Tajuddin Ramli saga”